1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a toy locomotive, especially a toy locomotive propelling itself by means of a clockwork drive mechanism along a curved track having a groove in a substantially planar surface. The term "toy locomotive" as used herein refers to a self-propelled toy vehicle which may be in the form of a train, or a car or even an animal or any other form.
2. Prior Art
There has hitherto been known a toy in which a locomobile, such as a train, a tram, a car or the like, is moved by a clockwork drive mechanism along a groove in the form of curved lines combined with straight lines, which is provided in a planar track member of a paper material or others. However, such a type of the conventional toy has several disadvantages in that the free steering and the stable running are difficult to be obtained because the toy body is provided with a drive wheel driven by a clockwork mechanism while a guide pin is independently fixed directly to the toy body at its lower front fact, which pin is engaged into the groove to guide the running of the locomotive, in that the guide pin is disturbed by a groove wall at an acute curvature or a crossed section of the groove, leading to frequent troubles of stoppage or tumbling, and in that on the same reason the track construction is limited and acute curves of the track may not be constructed, resulting in an uninteresting toy.
Further, there has hitherto been unknown an amusing and educational toy in which the locomobile runs along the track in the form of grooves provided on pages of a book, such as a picture book for children, such that the child may be induced by his interest in the locomobile to learn the names of the objects on the pages.
Accordingly, this invention provides a toy locomotive which eliminates the disadvantages as described hereinbefore and allows the free and stable running without stoppage or tumbling at the acute curves or crossed sections, notwithstanding the rather simple construction, and which accomplishes an amusing and educational purposes not only for the children but also the adult.
The principal features of the invention reside in that the drive wheel may be turned integrally with the guide pin, and in that an auxiliary wheel is arranged oppositely to the drive wheel and is freely rotated upon running for absorbing the differential resistance.